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Note: When the Low Power FM (LPFM) radio spectrum licenses were opened up for community use in the 90's, NPR sided with corporate media in opposing the FCC decision - and succeeded in eliminating thousands of potential new community stations (there is a bill in Congress to remedy this digression of broadcast ethics). Now NPR wishes to corner the market in the new high power radio license offerings by expanding the limitations placed on applications. NPR needs to understand that "public" is not a copyright they own - they also need a lesson in the difference between "public" and "community" and the role of democratic communications in each.

from: Laser's Letter

Public Radio Asks FCC to Relax Limit on NCE Window

From Lasar’s Letter, September 7, 2007
By Matthew Lasar

Two public radio organizations have called for the Federal Communications Commission to relax its proposed limit of ten applications for the impending window for non-commercial, educational (NCE) FM radio licenses. Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) says the limit should be lifted to 30 applications. National Public Radio (NPR) wants it raised to 15.

“The pent-up demand for new NCE facilities, along with the freeze on new NCE station applications for the past seven years, means that the October NCE filing window will provide an extremely important opportunity for public radio licensees,” MPR wrote to the FCC in a statement posted by the Commission today, “many of whom have limited resources … “

After a long delay, the FCC will invite the public to apply for non-commercial FM radio stations across the United States. The filing period will last from October 12th through October 19th—a week.

Thousands of organizations, many of them non-profit groups, Native American tribes, and churches, are expected to compete for these licenses. Although the Commission will not charge an application fee, legal and engineering costs associated with the process could range from five to ten thousand dollars.

But the FCC has also asked for public comment on how many applications a single party should be allowed to file. Many public interest groups and hundreds of individual filers have urged the Commission to stick to its proposed limit: ten applications per entity. They contend that without such a ceiling, bigger broadcasting groups will overwhelm the process with applications, crowding out smaller license seekers.

NPR and MPR don’t disagree with this point, but they argue that a limit of ten is too restrictive. MPR, which runs a 37 radio station network in Minnesota, contends that many stations want to use the NCE process to upgrade translator towers to full grade radio stations.

“Thus, MPR proposes a modest increase in the number of permissible applications — from 10 to 30,” MPR writes. “This would increase the prospects for obtaining construction permits without opening the door to the mass filing of speculative applications.”

NPR has filed similar comments, although they propose lifting the bar to 15 license requests.

“A fifteen application limit would provide applicants with a more meaningful opportunity to preserve existing translator stations, upgrade them to origination services, and otherwise offer NCE service to new audiences,” NPR’s September 6th filing concludes.

By proposing a less stringent cap, NPR and MPR side with various religious organizations that have argued for a higher ceiling because they have already prepared at least 30 applications for the window.

But on the same day as the NPR filing, a consortium of public interest groups reiterated the importance of keeping the application limit at ten. The petitioners include the Prometheus Project, Diymedia, Freepress, The National Federation of Community Broadcasters, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and the United Church of Christ.

Their statement obliquely responds to the comments of religious groups. “The final application limit must be made based on all public interest factors and not based on how some parties assumed the Commission would conduct the filing window,” they write.